Daily Devotional (HL)

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. —Psalm 19:14 Thoughts on Today's Verse... God does so much for us. He is the Rock and Redeemer that undergirds our lives. He is the One who has saved us from sin and death. Our worship comes from our gratitude for what he has done, recognition of who he is, and anticipation of what he is going to do. But worship can never be compartmentalized to just fit into church places or quiet times (Colossians 3:16-17). Worship [...]

How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. —2 Samuel 7:22 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Remember how the Ten Commandments began? "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:2-3). Our God is the Sovereign LORD! No one is like him, and no false god rivals him. So we, Jesus' disciples and children of God today, need to join King David in [...]

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing, and perfect will. —Romans 12:2 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Don't let the world mold you. Wow, isn't that a tough command to obey? It reminds us that what we allow into our minds makes it a place of spiritual warfare. Sloppy thinking is more than sloppiness; it's dangerous because the world feeds us messages that constantly distort God's truth and the holy values he [...]

"I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." —Jeremiah 29:11 Thoughts on Today's Verse... When Israel lay devastated in the face of a ruthless enemy that would rob them of all their glory and strip bare the very soul of God's people, God issued his promise. While the destruction visited upon them was in response to their rebellion and sin, God's punishment wasn't punitive alone; it was also redemptive. In their destruction, God promised prosperity, hope, and a future. That future [...]

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. —Proverbs 3:5-6 Thoughts on Today's Verse... When things are tough, I call on the LORD and lean on his mercy and grace. Deep in my heart, however, I fear I may have made him into my rip-cord Savior - the one I go to only in times of trouble. When I'm reveling in my blessings and things are going well, I am much like the Israelites. I forget to acknowledge that all my [...]

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. —Psalm 62:8 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Most of us find it very difficult to share the innermost secrets of our hearts with anyone. We want to keep our secret failings, worst embarrassments, and hidden sins unknown to those who know us. We fear others might reject us if they know, or think we are evil or hypocritical. We worry that we could disgrace ourselves and our families if anyone knew the secret sludge in our hearts. The truth is clear, however: Hidden [...]

Listen to advice and accept instruction and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails. —Proverbs 19:20-21 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Long ago, Thomas à Kempis declared, "Man proposes, heaven disposes." Most of us rush to give advice and make grandiose plans. The Wiseman of Proverbs, likely Solomon, reminds us that wisdom comes from submitting to instruction and good advice - that requires discernment! Then, after a significant time of listening and considering, we can begin to align our hearts to the LORD's purposes. If you [...]

It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. —Deuteronomy 13:4 Thoughts on Today's Verse... So many people want us to follow their lead, validate their choices, approve of their opinions, and follow their voice. Only God alone has proved himself faithful and loving through the ages, worthy of our devotion as we follow and obey him. In his might, he is to be revered. But rather than seeing reverence only as a "church thing," Moses reminds us that reverence is also a [...]

"I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed — I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God." —Isaiah 43:11-12 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Peter reminded us that we are here as God's chosen people, his witnesses, to "declare the praises of him who has called us out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9). We have experienced God's saving work in our lives. We have experienced God's saving work in our lives. We know he [...]

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. —Psalm 63:1 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Addiction has sometimes been defined as "God-hunger directed to the wrong source of soul satisfaction." Psalm 63:1 reminds us this is true. Deep in us is a desire to seek after God because he is not far from us and longs to be known by us (Acts 17:26-28). Unfortunately, far too often when our souls crave God deeply, he is the last place we [...]